AAMPHIBIAN CCONSERVATION Monthly Report • March 2008 One Hundred Leap Day Celebrations! Congratulations! Over one hundred AZA zoos Amphibian Ark has received support from Jean- and aquariums participated in the Leap Day Michel Cousteau, the natural history filmmaker launch of Year of the Frog, yielding both strong and environmentalist. Commenting on behalf of media coverage and positive public turnout. Amphibian Ark in pre-Leap Day press releases Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund donation. about the great start to the 2008 Year of the DWCF generously donated $250,000 to AZA’s Frog, he said “We’ve successfully raised the Amphibian Fund. Dr. Jackie Ogden, VP for consciousness of millions of people around the Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives at world that frogs, unfortunately, are croaking…and Walt Disney World and Disney's Animal Kingdom we’re accelerating our efforts to raise the needed said, “Disney hopes that those visitors, and funds to save them. We’re delighted by the early everyone who cares about our planet, will international groundswell of support.” contribute to the AZA Amphibian Fund too and help double the donation to save the frogs." Zoos globally have geared up for the Leap Day Donate at: www.aza.org/YearoftheFrog. ‘International Day of the Frog.’ Among the many Join us in Birmingham. “The Next Leap for Year fantastic initiatives taking place, Tokyo’s Ueno of the Frog Programs” workshop will be held at Zoo designed a week Birmingham’s Regional Meeting on Thursday, long festival, featuring March 6, 10:30-12:00 to share ideas about among other activities, maintaining momentum throughout the Year of amphibian pinball the Frog. Learn from curators, keepers, games (see image). educators, marketers, and fundraisers about Thanks to all zoos for planned or completed amphibian conservation their energy and programs and plans for visitor education and commitment. engagement. Sharing materials is encouraged. New activities available. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Amphibian Ark now has pages on MySpace and Zoo’s Wanted Alive! poster and bilingual Facebook to alert the ‘cyber-generation’ to the educational activities courtesy of Africam Safari plight of amphibians and hopefully to inspire them are available at www.aza.org/YearoftheFrog. to take action. If you are a social networker, make friends with Amphibian Ark. In addition, the Amphibian Ark website now has an AArk shop featuring some of the many generous donations FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES of profits that it has been offered. More will be Applications to AZA's Amphibian Fund are added soon. (www.amphibianark.org/shop.htm). due 4 April 2008. Guidelines are available at: Submitted by: Lesley Dickie, 2008 Year of the Frog Global www.aza.org/ConScience/CEF_AmphibFund. Campaign Manager Applications to the Amphibian TAG’s Conservation Grant are due 15 March 2008. NEW RESOURCE AVAILABLE Contact ATAG chair, Diane Barber for more The Amphibian TAG published the information ([email protected]). “Amphibian Husbandry Resource Guide” to help you provide the best care possible to The Project Golden Frog/Atelopus the amphibians under your watch. Conservation Trust offers grants up to www.aza.org/ConScience/Amphibians_Intro. $5,000 for conservation programs specific to the Panamanian golden frog and other Atelopus species. Submissions are due 1 July. Learn more at: www.ranadorada.org/act.html. Monthly Report Submission Information Send Monthly Report submissions to Shelly Grow ([email protected], 301-562-0777 x263). 1 News from the Field New Developments at EVACC, Panama Heidi Ross, EVACC and Bill Konstant, Houston Zoo Mississippi Gopher Frog Tadpoles Produced Rachel Hansen, Memphis Zoo One of the first steps to combating the effects of The Mississippi gopher frog (Rana sevosa), amphibian chytrid (Batrachochytridium possibly the most endangered amphibian in dendrobatidis, Bd) is to determine the absence or North America, was bred in captivity for the first presence of the fungus on wild-caught animals. time by the Memphis Zoo in February, as a result Timely detection is necessary due to the speed at of five years of experimentation and research. which infected animals perish. Prior to February 2008, it took over a month to determine if The tadpoles were produced by in-vitro amphibians housed at Panama’s El Valle fertilization utilizing a hormone cocktail Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) or local developed by Memphis Zoo researchers. The Zoo wild-caught animals were infected; today the previously has had success with the hormonally answer can be had in a day or less. induced reproduction of the Wyoming toad Although devastating in the wild, detection and (Bufo baxteri) however, an adjustment in disease treatment is relatively simple with the methods was needed to transfer the techniques proper equipment. Thanks to a grant from the Bay from a Bufonid to a Ranid species. The Northern and Paul Foundations, the Houston Zoo leopard frog (Rana pipiens) was used as a model purchased and sent a portable Polymerase Chain and proved instrumental in the development of a Reaction (PCR) unit and accessories to Panama so successful protocol for Rana sevosa. that EVACC staff can conduct rapid response screening for Bd. A grant from AZA’s With this protocol, spermiation was induced in Conservation Endowment Fund paid for lab the single male Mississippi gopher frog currently supplies and for sending Dr. Allan Pessier and housed at Memphis. Tammy Tucker of the San Diego Zoo to train The day the male EVACC staff in the use of this essential tool. received hormones resulting in sperm EVACC staff also now raise invertebrates to feed production, a hormonal the collection, thanks to training, logistical dose was administered support, and financial assistance from Lou Perrotti to a female to induce and the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Thanks to Kate ovulation. The eggs Woodle from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, a new were expressed from mural in the public education area features local the female 24 hours amphibian conservation work. later and immediately Rana sevosa © Rachel Hansen mixed with sperm collected the previous A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS day and refrigerated The Wyoming toad SSP and U.S. Fish and overnight. The result was over 200 tadpoles that Wildlife Service, in partnership with the are now developing in the Zoo’s research lab. Wyoming Toad Recovery Team, seek summer volunteers to monitor and survey The Mississippi gopher frog is critically reintroduced Wyoming toads in the Laramie endangered, with less than 100 individuals left in basin. Field assistants will be placed at the wild. This is the first captive breeding event release sites three times during the summer: for this species and infuses hope for the wild June 1-21, July 28-August 2, and Aug. 25-30. population with the possibility of future Activates will include population surveys, reintroductions of this frog into its native habitat. tadpole and toadlet releases, temperature and Bd monitoring, and water quality testing. A CALL TO ACTION Gain experience in the breeding and rearing of endangered amphibians at the USFWS A Studbook/Population Manager Plan keeper Wyoming toad facility at Red Buttes is needed for the Mississippi gopher frog Environmental Lab. Learn hormone-assisted (Rana sevosa). Applications and instructions reproduction techniques, care of tadpoles regarding the vacancy are found at: using native food sources, and husbandry of www.aza.org/AnMgt/PLH/. Apply to Diane young Wyoming toads. Contact Bruce Barber, Amphibian TAG Chair at Foster, Wyoming toad SSP Coordinator to [email protected] learn more ([email protected], 212-439-6505). 2.